Some of the New Products on Show
Fuel-saving wind-assisted propulsion
Econowind
Econowind will explain how Netherlands-based Tharsis Sea-River Shipping has installed Econowind’s assisted propulsion systems on its 2,364dwt diesel-electric general cargo vessel. The vessel, MV Tharsis, has been fitted with two Econowind TwinFoil units, both integrated into a specially designed aluminum flat rack from which the folding TwinFoils can be deployed.
The TwinFoil is a wing with a flap principle, like those used by aircraft during landing and take-off. Setting the wings optimally relative to the wind is done by a small third steering wing.
Like the company’s larger VentiFoils, the system instantly reduces fuel oil consumption and associated emissions. The savings are reflected in all key indices, including EEXI – carbon intensity design for existing ships; CII – CO2 per nautical mile in operation; and EEOI – emission per cargo. This ensures greener performance using wind-assisted propulsion.
This project for Tharsis Sea-River Shipping was the last of five installations under the Wind Assisted Ship Propulsion (WASP) project and was completed in February 2021. WASP was funded by the Interreg North Sea Europe program, part of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). It brings together universities, wind-assist technology providers and shipowners to install, research, trial and validate the operational performance of a selection of wind propulsion solutions.